Police in the southeastern province of Dong Nai have officially started investigations into two local men suspected of taking part in massive looting after more than 1,300 beer fell from a truck in their neighborhood last month.

On December 4, 2013, Ho Kim Hau, 30, was driving the truck carrying 1,350 beer cases from a Tiger Beer plant in Ho Chi Minh City to Binh Thuan Province.

When the truck was near the Tam Hiep Roundabout in Bien Hoa City, the capital of Dong Nai, its brakes failed to work.

At a sharp turn, a huge number of beer cases dropped from the truck.

The truck traveled another 70 meters until Hau was able to stop it.

People at the site rushed to take the beer cases and cans scattered on the ground. Hau jumped out of the truck and tried to prevent people from taking the beer to no avail.

He said a huge crowd joined the looting despite his demands that they leave the beer alone.

Some nearby residents who witnessed the looting called local police, who showed up 30 minutes later.

By the time police arrived at the scene, the looters had left.

Hau said a total 1,048 beer cases worth more than VND300 million (US$15,000) had been looted and broken.

The case sparked public criticism after video clips and photos of the looting taken by eyewitnesses went viral on the internet.

Bien Hoa police then tracked down 10 suspected looters thanks to the clips.

They summoned the 10 suspects for questioning, but then announced that only the two abovementioned men (Vinh and Cuong) had been officially placed under investigation on charges of "appropriating properties."

Investigators said that the pair looted beer cartons worth more than VND2 million ($95), so they face criminal charges, as regulated by the Vietnamese laws.